382 Chapter 3
Narrative: Consistent with the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and the culmination of the
Winter War, the Soviets pushed for a solution to its Baltic issue: by absorbing the
three Baltic states into the Soviet Union. Lithuania, arguably the strongest of the three
Baltic states, was targeted first (see MID#504). With Lithuania’s acquiescence to a
June 14, 1940, ultimatum in hand, Molotov issued identical ultimatums to Estonia and
Latvia accusing them, like Lithuania, of some anti-Soviet conspiracy to provide pre-
tense for the occupation. Estonia was ordered to form a new government that would
oblige to Soviet requests and was also ordered to permit Soviet troops in Estonia. The
Estonians were given eight hours and ultimately conceded to Soviet demands. Estonia
was eventually added to the Soviet Union.
MID#3560
Dispute Number: 3560
Date(s): July 27, 1992 to August 2, 1992
Participants: 365 Russia/366 Estonia
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (None)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: Troops from Estonia exchanged fire with Russian soldiers on July 27,
- The Estonians were trying to take a Russian navy building in their capital. On
August 2, 30 drunken Russian soldiers crossed the border and assaulted Estonian bor-
der guards near the town of Narva, Estonia.
365 Russia/367 Latvia
MID#2604
Dispute Number: 2604
Date(s): January 3, 1919 to February 1, 1920
Participants: 365 Russia/200 United Kingdom, 255 Germany, 290 Poland, 367
Latvia
Outcome (and Settlement): Victory for side B (Negotiated)
Fatalities: Missing
Narrative: Latvian territory was under Russian control, but in World War I Latvian
officials pushed for separate Latvian units in the Russian army. The Germans captured
Riga, Latvia’s capital, and the Russian civil war broke out in 1917. The Latvians took
the opportunity to move for independence. They first declared Latvia to be an autono-
mous republic within Russia, but in November 1918 they declared the independent
state of Latvia. Russia sought to reassert control quickly.
On January 3, 1919, Bolshevik forces invaded Latvia, seized the capital, announced
the Latvian Soviet Republic, and called for its union with Soviet Russia. The Soviets
controlled nearly all of Latvia’s claimed territory by the end of January. It did not
take long for other states to get involved. Three days later the British announced its
intention to support Latvia in the struggle for independence, and British warships
were soon off the coast. German troops also joined the Latvians in March, with the
approval of the Allies. The Germans and Latvians then pushed the Soviets out of